The Black Cherry Blossom
by BlackRose999
Summary: When Sakura is betrayed by the very village that raised her, her only wish is to disappear. To vanish and be left alone for the rest of her days, but when word gets around that a highly-skilled Kunoichi has abandoned her village, it doesn't take long before other villages and certain people come looking for her. But what will it take to make a broken woman believe in loyalty again?
1. Chapter 1

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter One: The Time Has Come_

Rain dripped down the hatched roof like tears, the moonlight sky illuminating as lightning cracked through the silver-black clouds. Haruno Sakura sat patiently in the covered windowsill of her apartment, her jade orbs searching the skies for each strike of the ice-blue light danced across her vision. Sakura felt the corners of her mouth lift, the pale rose strands of her hair danced across her face, although she'd tied them back as soon as the first rumble had reached her ears. Tonight was perfect, the rain would ensure others stayed indoors and away from the alleyways she required.

Yes... Tonight was perfect for disappearing.

Her world had always revolved around her friends, her family. But after the war things had started changing, everyone had started getting married, started having families of their own. Normally she wouldn't have minded, but then her only choice for a husband announced his engagement to a particular red-head. Everyone, _everyone_ she'd grown up with forgot about her. It was slow, but gradually they forgot even her name. She was simply a passerby to them, for they were too wrapped up in their own lives. Tsunade was her only friend, her only lifeline. Soon, Sakura became an ANBU Captain, along with Head Medic for the hospital, replacing both Shizune and her mentor.

If she thought her accomplishments would help her friends remember her, she was sorely mistaken.

They smiled, shook her hand in congratulations, and then walked right past her to her mentor. No one spoke to her, no one visited her, or even spared her a glance anymore. And quite frankly she was tired of it, tired of the constant loneliness in the hordes of people she used to know. Three years she put up with it, three years she hoped and dreamed that someone would say hi to her, or even acknowledge her. Finally she had to face the inevitable, the unavoidable truth.

These people, were not _her_ people.

Not anymore.

As the midnight neared, she packed what she needed and reached for her headband. Slender fingers lightly rubbed the smooth metal of her Leaf Symbol, a pained look on her face. This was her home, her beloved place. And now she was being driven out by those who once cared deeply about her, those she had loved with every piece of her heart. A calm rage took over her, and suddenly in her hand lay a Kunai. With a quick yank of her arm, the blade sliced easily through the soft metal of her headband, gleaming on the nightstand where she left it for whoever came to find her.

Content with marking herself as a Rouge Ninja.

Quietly she slipped out of the village, easily making her way over the slick roofing of the houses and across the wall, vanishing into the thick foliage and welcoming darkness. For once she felt calm, at peace. Fear held no power over her, she swore when she became an ANBU member that fear would never control her again. Sakura made her way toward Oto, knowing that they didn't have very friendly views toward her mother-country. Without any markings to determine her loyalty, the people of Oto would more than likely assume her to be just another traveler. While she would have chosen Amegakure as a place to run off to first, Ame was currently known for one thing only.

They were the last known residential area of the Akatsuki.

She reached the inner borders by daybreak, the wee hours of the morning painting the new surroundings in an angelic, pale glow. She would have stared at the world a little longer, but the approaching sound of wooden wheels quickly snapped her out of her reverie. Quickly she threw up a henge to disguise her features, and suddenly she had long blonde hair and a pale blue dress on. Seeing that it was just a merchant, she hurried toward him. It was time she changed herself up, a new identity was something she was going to need desperately soon.

"Excuse me! Sir?"

The driver slowed and looked behind him at the lithe frame of the blonde running toward him, a pack slung over her shoulder.

"Yes ma'am? What can I help you with?"

"Do you have any clothing I could purchase? And perhaps some grocery items?"

A smile broke across his face, and he quickly opened the back to show her his wares. Most of the clothing were ninja-style for both men and women, with a few children's clothes. However he had mass amounts of grocer items, along with a variety of weapons, to make up for the lack of normal clothing.

"I apologize for the lack of regular clothing, but my customers are generally all Ninjas. Sometimes mother's getting a last-minute present for their kids. Anyway what can I help you find?"

"The usual ninja garments please, along with few weapons. My sister is a ninja in Yugakure and I'm going over there next week to visit, so I thought I'd get her a new outfit and weapons."

Sakura rifled through the women's clothing before settling on a black ensemble, with it she purchased fishnets, wrappings and a new set of three-pointed Kunai with a cherry blossom stamped into the hilts. She also picked up a set of Senbon needles and Shiruken, she'd never had good accuracy with them, but she figured now would be the ideal time to perfect her aim.

"That'll be 300 ryo please."

She smiled and handed over the money, not at all worried since she'd acquired a small fortune from her ANBU missions. After murmuring a 'Thank you' to the nice man, she made her way toward the forest on the opposite side of him. One of the neighboring countries had no affiliation with the land of fire, no Kage to send out troops to capture her.

The land was mainly inhabited by simple farmers and rustic lands, no ninja were usually seen there since no one needed them. If one of the children shows signs of abilities, they were often taken to either Otogakure or Takigakure, since the land was nestled between the two. They were poor and carried no actual money, instead opting to trade and barter. They were only known as the Lost Lands, since many ninja cities thought of them as insane.

 _Alright, its a day and a half trek to the Lost Lands, once we're there, find a place to start building our house. Make sure we can leave at a moments notice, just in case we get any unwanted visitors. Don't forget that your a Rogue now Pinky..._

Sakura growled softly as she heard her Demon speak, while she was helpful to Sakura most of the time, her attitude often made her host irritated. Her clan had always bonded the female children with various Demons that often roamed their Origin-lands, unluckily for her, Sakura had been bonded with the Demon Hannya, a being of Jealousy. She was given the White Hannya Mask; indicating that she'd received the aristocratic version of her, while she was no less possessive over Sakura, she was in many ways wiser and more cunning.

 _ **Be quiet, before you ruin my concentration. If I go too far to the right I'll likely hit a town, and since I'm an unaccompanied female I'm likely to get stopped for... unsavory reasons.**_

 _Then I suggest you hurry the hell up, and quit whining Pinky._

Sakura grit her teeth and quickened her pace slightly, dashing silently through the treetops. The last thing she needed was to be caught by Oto Ninja unguarded, she wouldn't survive their... Interest. As she neared the border, she picked up on two things.

Footfalls, and chakra.

 _Go up, hide before you're seen._

She growled and quickly grabbed an upper branch of the tree she'd landed in, smoothly arching her body up and into the thick foliage above her. She hid for a almost two minutes before two Oto-Nin passed below her, she glared at their bulky forms as they stupidly looked about for her. Palming her new kunai, she stayed low in the tree and listened in on their incessant bickering.

"She was _here_! I heard her! I fucking _smelled_ the bitch!"

"Well obviously your goddamn nose was wrong, _again._ You know what, _you_ can tell the boss why a 'sure thing' ended in a dead fucking end. The pink-haired Kunoichi is gone, and now we have to go back to that freak and his creepy doctor-friend and tell them why his new toy just up and fucking vanished! Are you _trying_ to get us killed asshole!?"

 _You know EXACTLY who their talking about, WHY are you just waiting for them to realize you're in the goddamn tree? To what level are you trying to attempt this suicide?_

 _ **Shut up, the more they bitch the more information I get. Otogakure ninja are incredibly stupid, the chances of them actually noticing me is slim to none. And please, if I wanted to die, I would never have left Konoha...**_

Sakura noticed that their chatter had stopped, that smaller of them was sniffing the air like Kiba did. So either he was a Hound like Kiba, or his jutsu amplified his sense of smell. Fabulous. She suddenly dropped down and landed easily on the largest of the two, surprising them and giving her ample time to slit his jugular vein. With a grunt and a choked gasp he crumpled beneath her, and with a quick little hop she appeared in front of the second one, her now blood-stained kunai at his beefy neck.

"Looking for me? Good. I think I'll let you live... Long enough to send a message to your employer. I am to be left alone, nobody comes searching for me, no matter how high the bounty is. Otherwise, your little friend their will get some friends on the other side. Have I made myself clear?"

The man in front of her nodded quickly, his eyes widened in absolute terror. It was more than obvious that this was his first S-Class bounty mission, and after his failure, more than likely his last. She felt him shiver as the weight of her promise hits him, she felt herself smirk. Stupid little boy had no idea what it took to be an ANBU, you couldn't have any kind of emotion.

Not even friends.

She quickly knocked him out and let him drop to the ground, following him down she easily stripped him of his upper clothing, exposing his chest. She had a brief thought of regret for what she was about to do, but the calm indifference swept over her and once again, she no longer minded. Into his chest she carved one word, and one word only.

 _'Pain'_

* * *

 ** _Hi guys!_**

 ** _Sorry I've been inactive for so long, things have been absolutely... chaotic here. But I promise I'm going to try and update as much as possible, hopefully once a week._**

 ** _So a small note about this story, Sakura is supposed to act differently than in the anime/manga. I've always hated how whiny she's been so I decided to make her into who she should have been in the first place, a badass._**

 ** _Please review to your hearts content, let me know what you would like to see and maybe give me some Ideas._**

 ** _This will be a family-type story, but it will have lemons in it. This is probably gonna come off as harem-ish, to a degree it is, but it isn't. I'm going to be extremely picky about who she sleeps with and who is just family to her._**

 ** _As Always,_**

 ** _BlackRose999_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own NARUTO/NARUTO SHIPPUDEN or any of its characters._**


	2. Chapter 2

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Two: Forgiveness is Cowardice_

Sakura ended up on the farthest edge of the Lost Lands, her simple cabin was nestled by the seaside and nicely concealed by the dense foliage of the surrounding trees, giving her a vast amount of privacy. For the first few months, she worked diligently to get the cabin she found fixed and her defenses up, she was mainly left alone by the other people near her. They knew what she was and they wanted nothing to do with her, they were more than happy to simply ignore her and pretend she didn't exist.

Something the was greatly thankful for.

The last thing she needed was to have the innocent farmers dragged into what she knew would be a shit-storm in the near future, she already had enough on her conscience as it is. While she was lonely, she understood that it was better to be lonely than to have an entire community slaughtered because of her. Soon she settled back into her emotionless haze, a state of mind that had been drilled into her by the ANBU instructors. During the day she felt nothing, no pain, no sadness, and no fear.

But the once welcoming caress of night held nothing but memories and fear.

Sakura's nights now consisted of guilt-fueled nightmares, mainly consisting of her friends and her old home. She dreamed horrible things; her once closest friends slowly skinning her alive for 'betraying them', her mentor telling her she was worthless and that she'd never be anything more than a useless crybaby. She even dreamed of Kakashi, a man she had once idolized and worked hard to be like herself, telling her that he regretted ever having her assigned to him as a student. Dreams of burning towns and villages filled her mind as she slept, the fear of never being able to settle anywhere becoming a defining message. But no matter how terrible the dreams were, Sakura knew one thing for certain. She had made her choice when she slashed her headband, thereby cutting all ties to the Konoha and its people.

She could never go back.

 _Have you figured it out yet Pinky? Have you finally realized what you've done? You're an outcast, a persona non grata if you will. You've been blacklisted from almost any Kage-ruled village! From now on you have to be incredibly careful about where you go, what you do; and most importantly, who see's you. You're going to live the rest of your life on the run, hated and feared by everyone. Are you really ready to live that way?_

 _ **I don't have much of a choice now do I?**_

 _Thats your own damn fault._

 _ **Shut up.**_

Sakura grit her teeth and shoved the voice back into the depths of her mind, effectively silencing her. The setting sun told her it was time to head back inside, to eat and hopefully get some sleep tonight. She headed inside the cabin and bolted the door behind her, removing her weapons kit from her thigh in the process. Suddenly she became aware of another chakra presence in her house, they were behind her, standing calmly by the kitchen.

"Care to tell me why you've decided to commit suicide?"

The men behind her startled slightly, their posture shifting uncomfortably as she turned to look at them. Bored, but cautious, emerald green eyes locked on the dark onyx of none other than Itachi Uchiha. He and his partner Kisame regarded her with barely concealed curiosity, although for Kisame it looked like hunger.

"What do you mean Sakura-san?"

"Well obviously you want to die, otherwise you would be elsewhere. And not in _my house_..."

 _What the hell are you doing!? This is the AKATSUKI! They are going to kill you for speaking to them like that! Their going to kill **me**!" _

_**Relax, if they wanted me dead they would have killed me already. They don't benefit from me being dead, they want something from me.**_

 _Probably information about Konoha's defenses. Are you gonna give it to them? They did snub you and completely forget about you... I think its justifiable myself._

 _ **Well no one asked you did they?**_

 _Ooh somebodies a cranky little bitch today..._

 _ **Fuck off.**_

"Oh please, like a little pint like you could hurt us?"

Sakura's eyes flicked toward Kisame, a hint of amusement in them. The corner of her lips pulled up into a small smile, the sight of it causing his smirk to fall as confusion filled his eyes. Quick as a flash, Sakura was at his throat, laughing. A kunai was pressed tightly against his jugular vein, and another level with his liver.

"I _know_ I can hurt you little fish.. So how should I cook you? Breaded and fried, or smoked over a fire? Your choice."

Her words came out as a soft malevolent purr, the promise of unending pain making the man before her shiver slightly. Beside her, Itachi chuckled as he regarded the predicament his partner was in, however the sound was cut short as the kunai in her right hand flew into the wall mere centimeters from his eye. With the amusement gone from her eyes she turned to toward him, careful to keep the kunai pressed so tight that if Kisame moved so much as an inch in her direction, he'd slit his own throat.

"I won't tell you again, so heed my words boys. Get out."

"You're to come with us Sakura-san, we're here to formally invite you to join the Akatsuki. Should you refuse... We're to bring you in forcefully."

Now it was her turn to chuckle, a empty-sounding laugh making Itachi tense ever so slightly.

Something he wasn't used to.

"What makes you think you could bring me in? You're buddy here will die the moment he decides to move, and that water jutsu of his requires hand seals, so he's not going anywhere in a splash."

"You presume I need his help to take you..."

 _Look out!_

The widening of his eyes was the only warning to his genjutsu, within seconds, Tsukyomi had her. Her eyes glazed over as her body dropped, with the threat of a severed arterial vein gone, Kisame quickly caught her before she hit her head. For a moment, the two of them stared at her unconscious body. Wondering exactly who Sakura Haruno of Konoha had become, and what she might be capable of becoming.

Who they could help her become.

"Feisty little thing, eh Itachi?"

"Hn. Lets get her to the base.. preferably before she wakes."

Kisame hoisted Sakura's slender limp frame over his shoulder, marveling over how light she was. As they walked out of her little cabin, Itachi grabbed her weapons kit and then immediately set the place aflame, destroying all evidence of her being there. The trip to the base was about relatively short, since they had bases in almost every county, they simply brought her to the closest one. When she woke, Itachi sat in front of her on a metal chair. A small movement of her hands confirmed they were bound to the back of her own chair, popping her neck, Sakura allowed one leg to cross the other in an act of irritation.

"I see you've awakened, good."

"Thank you Captain Obvious, what brilliant deduction will you astound me with next?"

Irritation flashed briefly over his face, then just as quickly, his calm mask of indifference resurfaced. Sakura wondered when he'd learned to guard himself like that, usually ANBU members received extensive training on how to guard their emotions. She knew he was an ex-ANBU member, but she wondered exactly when he'd become one.

"I will ask you one more time, Sakura. Will you consent to join us, or will you refuse and force us to bring you in against your will?"

Sakura pondered over her options for a moment, unsure. While she thought it over, Itachi watched her with concealed confusion. Konoha had left her behind, abandoned her. So why was she still uneasy about joining them? She was a criminal herself, so their status in society didn't matter to her. But why was she so reluctant? The others had been somewhat eager to join them, to rid the world of the evil and the corrupt.

Was she not wanting to do the same?

"If I agree, will I be left alone? Will I be able to do as I please?"

"You will be given a partner, probably Konan since Pein never goes anywhere anymore, or you might be assigned to Pein as a secondary guard. But yes, for the most part you will be able to do as you please in the compound."

 _Sounds good, we can train in peace and probably spar with the others to learn new skills._

 _ **You agree then?**_

 _Totally. Get to it Pinky._

Her emerald eyes locked with his once more, a small smile on her face.

"I accept."

* * *

 _ **Hey everyone!**_

 _ **Sorry it took so long, but chapter two is up and the next one is in progress.**_

 _ **And as a little spoiler, I plan to drastically change her once she gets into the compound. I mean COMPLETE makeover from head to toe. **_

_**Any ideas you want me to add in there? Feel free to give me some orders here!**_

 _ **As Always,**_

 _ **BlackRose999**_


	3. Chapter 3

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Three: When Lightning Strikes_

The six days it took them to travel across both Oto and Yugakure were mostly spent in silence, aside from the occasional sounds of eating and Kisame's ungodly snoring, the trip was refreshingly nice. Sakura had noticed things about them both during the days in their company, while Kisame was a joker who loved picking on his partner, he genuinely cared about his well being. Itachi on the other hand, seemed eager to be rid of his blue-skinned companion.

Not surprising from a cold-hearted man.

While she watched them, she became increasingly aware of how close they were to Konoha borders. As she noticed this, her anxiety spiked and she became extremely cautious of her surroundings. Noticing her current predicament, Itachi slowed and turned toward her.

"They won't see you Sakura-san. They won't hear or sense you either, not unless we want them to."

Her dark eyes narrowed in confusion, trying to figure out how exactly that was possible. She racked her brain, trying to figure out how exactly they were able to foil someone's own senses so easily. As she walked with them, she felt the answer coming to her the more she looked at them. They wore very specific attire in public, their cloak was always present, that she knew. But maybe there was another element that ensured their protection? She felt her eyes unabashedly roam over both their figures, looking for anything that she'd never noticed before.

Then she saw it.

On both of their ring-fingers, lay silver rings etched with a different character. How had she not seen them before? She felt incredibly silly, usually she noticed anything and everything there was about her opponent.

It was her job.

 _Yeah, it WAS our job. Not anymore, now we belong to the Akatsuki. Our job is whatever they want us to do, be whatever they want us to be._

 _ **Yes I know that, do you think I'm stupid?**_

 _I'm not answering that._

 _ **Fuck you.**_

"Have you figured it out yet Sakura-san?"

"My name is Sakura, and yes, I have. Its your rings, their infused with chakra to provide a constant shield from outside senses. The only reason I can see them is because you've allowed me to, I can sense it's energy."

"Good, you realize you'll receive one of these with your cloak right?"

"Yes, make the color pink please. I assume the kanji is something that is given after you've earned it?"

Itachi nodded, his eyes remaining on the road ahead of them.

"The kanji will appear after you've earned the name it see's fit to give, the rings are, in a way... Alive. You'll understand once you get yours."

Sakura nodded and turned her attention to the road ahead, a jolt of surprise going through her as she saw the cliffs of Otogakure. From here she could very faintly see the outline of an Island. Confused, she turned toward the two men beside her, only then noticing the hidden trapdoor in the ground. Wordlessly, she moved toward the two of them, her eyes locked on the door with blatant curiosity. Kisame climbed down first, then Sakura, and finally Itachi. As she stepped onto the floor, she noticed the dripping cave-like walls around her. The tunnel was lit with glowworms that littered the ceiling, their blueish glow able to be seen for miles.

"This is the only way into the Forgotten Isle, we've made sure of it. The cliffs of the Isle are so steep they cannot be climbed, even with the help of chakra. This is our home, our only true sanctuary. But more importantly, this is where Leader-sama needs to stay."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see soon enough."

Choosing not to argue further, she merely nodded and once again fell silent. The road through the tunnel lasted for almost an hour before the smooth ground began to gain a gravelly, rocky feeling to it. As she watched, the mouth of the tunnel widened and grew jagged like a cave, which in truth was what it turned out to be. They came out on the western shore of a small island, the darkening sky above her only just beginning to shimmer with the midnight stars. She allowed herself to look at them only briefly, silently wishing for a thunderstorm to roar and crack above her.

"So where is the Base?"

"On the Isle of course, this is its Sister Island. One we use to deter any trailing followers from reaching our Home.. Most of them follow us here and when we 'vanish', they search the Island. Often falling prey to the many predators and traps we've laid out, traps that are cleaned weekly and then re-set."

"Those poor stupid bastards.."

Itachi chuckled, surprising her. He'd been quiet almost this entire trip, it had mainly been Kisame answering all her questions. Feeling her mouth quirk slightly, she eyed him with benign amusement. Their demeanor had changed drastically, while they were on the mainland they were both cold and not at all willing to talk much, but now they were laughing. Their posture had relaxed and the two of them seemed more... comfortable, around her. She followed them through a certain path on the Island, careful not to spring any traps. As they passed though the smaller second tunnel, she watched in awe as the beauty of the Forgotten Isle hit her. It was obvious a town had once been here, while the concrete ruins around her were overgrown, she could very plainly see the outlines of the houses and shops.

Then just down the way, was the ruins of a Kage Tower.

"I take it we live in the Tower?"

"No, we live _under_ it. We had Zetsu and Deidara create our true base underground, so if somebody ever does figure out where we live at, they won't be able to blow us up."

 _Thats pretty smart... but in the event of a cave-in, their fucked._

 _ **Not really, their bomb expert should be able to blast the doorway open again.**_

 _Hn._

Sakura shook her head, once again pushing the demon back into her mind. The vain creature only helped her when she saw fit, any other time she sassed her and irritated the hell out of her. As they made their way underground, she began to hear yelling and cursing. It sounded familiar, increasingly familiar...

 _That sounds like.. Deidara?_

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!? The roses go over _THERE_! NOT _THERE_ YOU COCKSUCKER OVER THERE!"

"Tobi is a good boy! Tobi is sorry! Tobi does it right this time!"

"FOR FUCKS SAKE ARE YOU _TRYING_ TO PISS ME OFF!?"

" _WILL YOU TWO SHUT THE FUCK UP!? I'M_ _ **TRYING**_ _TO SACRIFICE TO JASHIN!"_

Sakura smiled, an unfamiliar weight lifting from her chest. For the first time in almost a year, she felt almost... peaceful. Calm. Slowly she allowed herself to relax, the tension leaving her body was almost painful. Unaware of Itachi and Kisame's eyes on her, she cracked her neck and let her chakra flare around her, the vibrant green energy flickering and dancing like fire. They watched the grass below her grow longer and greener than they've seen in years, and once again, Itachi watched her with open curiosity.

It was obvious she had great amounts of power within her bones, not just meaning the ungodly physical strength she possessed. But it seemed like she never allowed herself to slip out of her cautious control, like she feared what she could, or perhaps _would_ , do. He had to stop himself from laughing, Sakura was a woman of many things, but it didn't seem like she knew the meaning of fear anymore. Suddenly he watched the chakra seep back into her, the calm control once again making her tense. Turning in her direction, he smirked at her.

"Welcome to the Akatsuki."

* * *

 _ **I am INCREDIBLY sorry for the wait on this one, for some damn reason my laptop wont connect to the internet now..**_

 _ **The good news it that chapter four is halfway done now, the bad news is that i'm going to be running back and forth between computers until the issue is fixed... which may take awhile...**_

 _ **Anyway, you know the drill. R & R please, I live for reviews man!**_

 _ **Much Love,**_

 _ **BlackRose999**_


	4. Chapter 4

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Four: Loyalty_

Itachi led her through the compound, showing her where all the training rooms were located, along with the Medic's Station. She was allowed to do whatever she wanted to the station as long as it was kept clean and tidy, something she already knew. As he showed her to her rooms, she caught the scent of roses. The smell made her come to a halt; trying to figure out where, and why, she'd smelled freshly-cut roses.

"Itachi? Why do I smell roses?"

"That would be Deidara's doing, he got excited when he learned a new member was coming. Poor guy's been saddled with Tobi as an apprentice, so it makes sense he'd go a little insane over the thought of someone his age joining us."

 _His age? When did he join then?_

 _ **I wouldn't know. Although when he tried to take the Kyuubi from Naruto, he was supposed to be around eighteen, maybe twenty.** _

_That young? Begs to wonder if maybe he was forced to..._

 _ **He seemed pretty gleeful to me Hannya...**_

 _They always do._

Her comment made Sakura re-think her opinion of him, maybe Hannya was right. Maybe Deidara didn't want to do what he did, deep down inside. Her thoughts snapped back to reality when Itachi stopped in front of a pair of double doors, and for a moment Sakura was genuinely confused. Why did her room have double doors? Did all of them have doubles? Or perhaps just the important members did... But that would make her important, wouldn't it? He opened one of the doors to her new room and stood there for a moment, before shaking his head and closing it again. Walking past her, he turned and gave Sakura a smirk.

"Good luck with that..."

"Okay?"

She turned and pushed open both of the rose-wood doors, staring in shock at the dozens of roses in her room. The majority of them were in the basic shades, about a dozen each. Blue, red, white, orange, pink, red, yellow, purple. The colors made the room look like a living rainbow, and as she scanned the room, a single rose caught her eye. On the bedside table, a strange-looking black-red rose in a pink marble vase stood alone beside her bed. She found herself staring at the beautiful intricacy of the petals, the crimson color began at the stem before fading into a deep onyx.

The edges of the petals were tinged with a light yellow-orange, in truth, it looked like someone had harnessed fire into the beauty of the rose.

She tore her eyes away from the rose and looked around the rest of the room, smiling to herself. The style was simple yet luxurious, her bed was elevated onto a platform, the black silk bedding was complimented by a pale pink comforter/pillowcase scheme. Everything was a beautiful rose-wood finish, silver handles and fittings easily accentuating the rest of the room. The chandelier above her was in the shape of a six-pointed star, pink-painted cherry-blossom petals adorned the fragile glass of the fixtures, casting gorgeous shadows on the wall as the golden light filled the room.

Sakura smiled, she felt very relaxed here, very calm.

She took notice of the Akatsuki cloak on her bed, folded nicely, and on top of it lay her silver ring. Gingerly, she picked it up and turned it about, seeing everything there was to see. The center was white, clear in color. Frowning she turned it again, a quick flash of something small and thin on the inner band making her pause. As she studied it, it showed to be a short needle, very thin, but long enough for it to pierce the bone of ones finger.

Suddenly she understood.

The ring was bare because it didn't know her, it needed her flesh and blood to know who and what she would be. She had a choice, she could leave the ring now, leave it empty and bare. Or, she could slip the ring onto her finger, forever marking herself as a member of the Akatsuki. She stared at it for what seemed like an eternity, pondering. Then without really feeling anything, she pushed the ring up her heart-line finger.

And immediately shrieked in agony.

Sakura dropped to the floor of her room, screaming in pain. She felt the needle slowly puncture her flesh and fit itself into the bone of her finger, she felt her memories push forward into her mind, flashing like a movie before her terrified eyes. She was vaguely aware of her doors opening to reveal the other members, but her vision soon turned black as she slipped into pain-induced unconsciousness. When she woke again, she laid on the plush softness of her new bed. Her hand reached up to touch her head, but stopped as she caught sight of the center of her ring. Where it had once been crystal-clear, it was now as gray as the clouds during a midnight thunderstorm. Her heart broke, it had become what she loved, what she needed when her chest ached and tears stained her cheeks.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Her dark green eyes shot toward the woman sitting on her bed's raised platform, identifying her as Konan. The bluenette regarded her with eyes the color of honey, silently sizing her up. Sakura had never met Konan before, so she was surprised to see she had a piercing, like Pein did. Hers was tucked just below her lip, a silver barbell that glinted slightly in the light.

"Its different from the ones I've seen, the darkest one I can recall was Orochimaru's, his was a deep brown."

"What color is yours?"

"White, like fresh snow."

"Is it different for everyone? Do their ring's take after what they love? Or is it just us?"

Konan laughed, the sound like tinkling bells.

"No, mine is white because I am pure of heart. I kill because I must, and rarely so. Yahiko barely ever comes into contact with the enemy, which is good really. He wouldn't survive any kind of fight. Why do you say it became what you loved?"

Sakura felt her finger rub the smooth surface of the ring, marveling at how she could no longer feel the needle in her bone. She thought for a moment, carefully calculating how she thought it was.

"I love the night sky during a storm, more specifically a thunderstorm. I can tell you the exact shade the sky turns when Lightning is about to strike, I live for them. The ring is that exact color, the color of the coming strike."

"I see, in a way, you are right. But mostly you are wrong. It is that color because it reflects your mind, your temper and your personality. I suppose it means you are a storm, so quiet and calm on the surface, until you decide to strike. But we won't know for certain until you fight, which will be in about half an hour. You're expected to be in the training room so we can see how good you are. You might want to get dressed, the cloak is yours, feel free to adjust it how you want."

With that, Konan left. Sakura shrugged and grabbed the cloak, modeling it in the mirror. She frowned, the sleeves were much too long and the hem touched the floor. She stared at it a bit, realizing she looked like a toddler playing dress up.

 _She did say we could change it... I'm thinking fishnets._

 _ **What about a hood?**_

 _I like the way you think Pinky, get to it._

Smirking to herself, she found a needle and thread kit in the desk, apparently it was mandatory that everyone had one. She grabbed some scissors and got to work. Twenty minutes later, the sleeves were gone and replaced by full-length finger-less fishnet gloves. The high neckline that hid a very generous portion of her face, revealing nothing but her hairline, was replaced by a low-sitting hood. She left the hem long, letting it drag just a little bit. She had done her makeup, giving her dark smokey eyes and red lips to compliment her tanned skin. Then brushed and straightened her hair, it was easy since her hair had been short most of her life, but now it had grown out to just barely caress her collarbone.

She felt, and looked, kinda sexy.

Her ninja attire was still visible with the cloak left open, but if she closed it the only things that could be seen were her lips, hands, and a bit of her pale pink hair. She wore a black form-fitting halter top and a matching skirt, underneath that were fishnet shorts secured to the belt on her skirt. She wore heels similar to her ex-sensei's, but the heel was a tad thicker to allow easier running.

 _We should head down, its almost time._

Checking the clock, Sakura cursed to herself. If she didn't hurry, she'd be late. Grabbing her tool bag she quickly secured it to her upper left thigh, smirking as the cloak opened slightly in a seductive way. Sakura shut her door and headed down to the training room, the soft click of her heels giving her a confidence boost. She rounded the corner and smirked when she noticed they were all talking in a huddle, not yet aware of her.

Suddenly Konan looked up, a playful grin on her face.

"Oh my... Love the look Sakura-chan, very sultry."

Nine pairs of eyes simultaneously looked at her, each one gaining a different expression. She saw surprise, shock, lust, confusion, wariness, and even a little bit of fear from the one in an orange mask. A soft smile turned her crimson lips upward, forming a gentle smirk.

"So, who's the poor bastard that gets to play with me?"

* * *

 _ **Hey guys!**_

 _ **I finished chapter four this morning, but like a bad bitch I forgot to upload it.**_

 _ **My bad!**_

 _ **I want to thank everyone for the awesome reviews, they mean alot guys, they really do.**_

 _ **Much Love,**_

 _ **BlackRose999**_


	5. Chapter 5

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Five: Fight Me!_

Itachi stepped forward from the group, his black eyes roaming a little over her slender form. He had never seen anything like her before, she had grown up prudish about her figure, nervous and shy. But now as a woman, she no longer tried to hide herself. She was beautiful, in an exotic and alien type of way. She had lightly tanned skin and a curvaceous, yet lithe, body type.

"That would be me Sakura, you're fighting me."

Sakura lazily turned her head toward him, not noticing his roaming eyes.

"Then you better be ready to kill me, because I don't lose. I haven't lost a fight since I became an Anbu Captain... I want you to come at me with everything you have."

Itachi stared at her, trying to understand what she meant. Why would she ask him to try and kill her? He was one of the deadliest members of the Akatsuki, his sharingan alone could kill her. But why would she demand him to attack her with such ferocity? Suddenly it clicked. Sakura had nothing to live for anymore, her entire village, her _home_ , had abandoned her. She had no one left to live for, no one to come home to. What did she care if she died in combat? Nobody from Konoha would mourn her now that she was branded a rouge ninja...

"Alright, Itachi you know the rules. But since Sakura doesn't, we'll go over it again. You have fifteen minutes to incapacitate your opponent, you can use any jutsu at your disposal, just don't blow our base up again.."

"That was ONE time yeah!"

"Once the bell rings, you must stop. Is that understood?"

Both of them nodded, heading toward the sparring ring. Sakura shed her cloak, handing it to a smirking Konan. Itachi took this opportunity to openly give her a once-over, knowing the others will assume he's merely assessing her. Sakura was beautiful, not in a conventional and expected way, but in an exotic and striking perspective. She was slim and athletic, like most Kunoichi's her age, but still had amazing curves. Suddenly he noticed she was watching him, but her eyes were different. They weren't green anymore, they were a soft shade of orange, almost like the sunset. As soon as he noticed, it was gone.

The bell rang.

Sakura moved like lightning, punching him in the jaw before he could react. She easily kept up with him, hitting him with a barrage of punches that he barely had time to block. When she finally let up, he hit her with his fireball jutsu and knocked her away. When the smoke cleared he saw her healing herself of the burns, a quick glance at the clock showed eight minutes had gone by, he needed to end this soon. He prided himself of ending his matches early, so in lieu of his normal way, he began gathering his chakra. As soon as she felt the rise in his chakra, Sakura immediately turned her attention back to him. Like before, she was caught in Tsukyomi before she could block it.

She found herself nailed to a cross, staring down at the numerous clones of Itachi before her. Each of them carried a sword in hand, and as she noticed this, she also noticed an _intense_ pain in her hands. The only thing holding her to the cross, was her nails. Her feet were tied together but left to dangle, which left the nails to bear the entire weight of her body. The more she noticed this, the worse the pain got. The real Itachi stepped forward, his sharingan spinning slowly as he kept her in his genjutsu.

"Remember you asked for this, you asked for death."

He pulled his arm back and moved to stab her in the heart.

" _BACK OFF"_

Hannya materialized in front of Sakura, acting as a shield so he couldn't hurt her. The sword shattered as soon as it touched her chest, creating a shock wave that knocked him onto his ass. Itachi stared up at the terrifying form of Hannya, she bore long white hair that sprayed out around her and piercing orange eyes, the same eyes he'd seen earlier. She wore a low-cut kimono, the kind that pooled over her shoulders and draped over her legs in a seductive, sultry kind of way. What was terrifying was her face and her hands, her skin was a chalky white, her hands like claws. Her face was painted white with three crimson circles above her dead eyes, her black lips stretched into a snarl that barely reached the bleeding slashes over her cheeks, and her eyes were sunken and ringed in black, making the orange irises stand out and entrance him.

But above all, she radiated power on a massive scale.

" _Listen up asshole, this bitch here? She's MINE. She dies when I FUCKING SAY SO! Not a moment before and not a moment after! If you so much as GLANCE in her direction in a way I deem threatening, I'll rip your fucking throat out! Got that? Good!"_

She floated closer to him, until she was standing directly over him.

" _Now GET OUT!"_

Itachi was thrown out of Sakura's mind so hard, and so fast, his physical body jerked back and his legs crumpled beneath him. Sakura stood where she'd been when he had hit her with Tsukyomi, glaring at him with Hannya's eyes. She waited until his attention was once again riveted on her, his eyes wide with shock.

" _ **..MINE.."**_

The word was a drawn out growl, since Hannya was using Sakura's voice, it just added to the creep factor of the word. The demoness retreated and gave Sakura back her body, and as the fatigue and physical pain hit her, she dropped to the floor unconscious.

"So... Itachi won then yeah?"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Sakura looked.. different. Her chakra was different, it was ringed in red. She also carried herself differently. Itachi looked... Nervous."

"Well who the hell won then? Are we just fucking standing here like goddamn statues or are we gonna fucking call this bitch?"

"Shut up Hidan, Sakura was still standing after Itachi fell, technically, she won."

This statement cause a murmur to go through the group, the fact that a newbie had beaten one of the Akatsuki's strongest members, startled and surprised them. Itachi was known for ending fights with his Tsukyomi, an unavoidable genjutsu that ruined someone from the inside out. But it appeared that Sakura had forced Itachi out of her mind and survived his attack, maybe she really was something to contend with. Konan walked over to Sakura and carried the petite woman out of the ring, taking note of the fading bruises and cuts from the fight. Her healing chakra was strong enough to heal her instantly, without her consent or direction.

When Sakura woke, it was dark.

A faint sound of thunder shocked her, even this far below the surface, she could feel it calling to her. Suddenly it was too much, the knowledge of where she was, who she'd allowed herself to become overcame her. She bolted out of her room, running as fast as her legs could carry her, not caring who she woke with her haste. When she reached the entrance, she threw open the doors and stumbled out into the open air. For a moment, the pouring rain blinded her and made her drop to her knees, and it was only until the lightning lit up the sky that she saw her surroundings.

She wasn't home.

She didn't have a home now, she had no family. Nothing. A strangled sob tore from her, the pain and fear and desperation finally surfacing after so long. She screamed, she screamed until her throat was sore and she couldn't hear herself anymore. Her eyes burned from her tears and the rainwater dripping into them, and she sat there rocking herself in the storm.

Uncaring of the sounds and footsteps of the man coming up behind her.

"Why are you out here, un? You'll catch cold if you're not careful."

Deidara sat down next to her, seemingly unaffected by the overhead storm. He stared at Sakura with a calm and understanding look in his eye, out of all of the members, he knew what she was feeling better than anyone.

At least a small portion of it anyway.

"I have nothing now... no home... no family... not even my friends."

"Thats not entirely true, you have a home here now. It may not be the most ideal in terms of living with murderous criminals, but its still a home. Its not easy, yeah. But its better than nothing."

"You don't understand, everyone I've ever known turned their backs on me, the left me in the dust while they went on with their lives... they even forgot my name Deidara.. No one spoke, looked, or acknowledged me for three years..."

He whistled, a soft grin on his face.

"I know that one, I was ostracized from my village too. Although to be fair I did blow up a few things... Sooo I could kinda see that coming. Doesn't mean it didn't hurt though, and in all honesty I didn't even mean to blow the damn building up... I only meant to blow up the stupid statue out front... too much C4."

The sheepish look on his face made her smile, and the way he rubbed the back of his neck reminded her of Naruto, when he was younger.

"I haven't been able to talk about this for years, to anyone. Kinda hard to say anything when the only people who recognize you are store clerks..."

The joke fell flat on her lips, even to Sakura it sounded depressing. But it was the truth, for so long she had sat in shadow, watching the people she had grown up with forget about her. Watching the man she had loved with everything she had, marry someone else. She had given everything for her village, her team and her loved ones, only to get nothing in return. It was understandable that she finally broke down, who wouldn't?

"If you want you can talk to me, I'm an insomniac. So I'm always awake nowadays."

"I have no idea where anyone's rooms are, come to think of it I don't think I remember where _my_ room is... Kinda pathetic huh?"

"Nah, it took me weeks to figure out where the hell mine was. They all look the same on the outside, just cound the door frames or do something to the door. Hidan painted his."

"... Do I... Do I want to know how?"

He blanched, his face turning a sickly shade of pale.

"N-No... not really. It still creeps me the fuck out..."

Deidara stood and helped her stand, knowing she'd probably be a little muddy. He walked with her back inside, and then locking the outer doors to the compound.

"Here, lets get you cleaned up."

* * *

 _ **Hey everyone!**_

 _ **So this was a suuuper important chapter, and i feel like i need to explain this a bit.**_

 _ **Hannya is a demon in ancient Japanese folklore, its the spirit of jealousy and possessions. Hannya is very protective of Sakura because shes her host, through Sakura, Hannya can do her favorite things, like making mortals suffer. Its kind of a win-win for the two of them, Sakura gets guidance (hidden under sarcasm), and Hannya gets to watch people suffer.**_

 _ **Deidara is NOT a love interest! He's going to be her confidant, her brother-figure. Something she desperately needs right now, her entire world fell apart and the only way she could deal with it was to block it out, for three years it built up inside her and choked the emotion out of her. That scene I wrote is to show that she's trying, she's trying to fix herself before she does something stupid. Like trying to off herself. People who go through that kind of emotional trauma are very likely to lash out and shut down if they feel threatened, and being in a criminal hideout with a bunch of murder-happy lunatics isn't exactly calming...**_

 ** _If you feel like I didn't explain something enough, please comment and I'll make sure to get to it in the next chapter._**

 ** _As Always,_**

 ** _BlackRose999_**


	6. Chapter 6

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Six: Break Me Apart_

Deidara lead Sakura to the Bath House inside the compound, her pale pink hair now blotched with mud and darkened with rainwater. She followed his footsteps in silence, her mind lost within itself. Memories replayed in her head, memories of her time as the famous student of Kakashi Hatake and Tsunade Senju, the fulfilling time she spent as Naruto's friend, and the wasted years spent as Ino's rival.

The memories of Ino hurt the worst, in truth, their friendship had been founded on the desire to impress someone who was clearly not destined for either of them. Had they tried to be more than rivals, perhaps they could have been better friends, better not-sisters.

She thought of the time spent foolishly chasing after a man who hated her, who tried to kill her twice, who'd married the one woman she hated more than anyone.

Something she greatly regretted.

"Kura?"

Sakura looked at Deidara as if in a daze, her eyes hazy and unfocused. She didn't even bother with the new nickname he'd given her. Wordlessly he pulled her to him, wrapping the pinkette up in his strong embrace. He held her as she cried once more, holding her head to his chest to muffle her screams of rage and pain, gently rocking her.

When she quieted, he helped her out of her muddy clothes, leaving her bra and panties on of course, and guided her into the bath. He then shed his own over clothes and sat behind her, washing and rinsing the filth out of her glossy mane. He did this without complaint, never once letting her apologize.

When she was clean, he helped her stand and showed her to her room. However, when he made his way to leave, she grabbed his wrist.

".. Stay..."

"Sakura I'm not going to-"

"I don't want that... Just sleep. I don't... I don't want to be alone here..."

Her voice cut through him like a knife, the soft spoken words laced with pain and fear. This woman had gone through many things, most of which she bore alone for years. It was like she was drowning, drowning in a sea of loneliness and regret.

Something he understood greatly.

"..Okay."

Sakura gave him something akin to a smile, and made her way to her bed. She curled herself up by the wall, letting him take the left side. Most commonly, men slept on the side closest to the door to protect the woman laying opposite to them, so the fact that the woman who just took on Itachi Uchiha -and _won_ \- took the right side, didn't go unnoticed by the blond. Obviously she felt extremely vulnerable right now, so much that she needs the physical presence of someone beside her. He crawled under the fluffy comforter and let her lay her head on his arm, Deidara shifted so that his own body curved around hers, his left arm over her waist and his face against her neck.

While most would mistake it for a Lovers Embrace, they both knew that romance had nothing to do with it. He laid beside her to guard her, to protect the emotionally destroyed pinkette that lay against his chiseled chest. He didn't care if Konan or Zetsu found them in the morning, he didn't care if he was teased for the rest of his life.

If it meant he could help his friend, then it was worth it.

When he woke, Sakura lay on her back with her head on her left arm and her right over her stomach, her legs pressed together and bent at the knee. He stopped and stared at the expression on her face, she looked peaceful, childish even. Her hair painted the pillowcase like the branches of her namesake, a rose pink strand clinging stubbornly to her slightly open lower lip.

She looked beautiful, absolutely mesmerizing.

Had he been anyone other than himself, he might have taken this opportunity to run his fingers over her soft tanned skin. As he continued to stare at her, he became aware of a small incision scar running down her neck. Upon further inspection, he noticed it ran down the length of her spinal column, starting at the base of her skull.

Deidara frowned, curiosity and confusion making his expression sour ever so slightly.

" _Everyone I've ever known turned their backs on me..."_

He glanced at the still-sleeping woman beside him, looking over her again, cataloging every scar that marked her thin frame in his mind.

Just what the hell had happened to her?

But more importantly, why had her village forgotten her?

A knock on the door startled the blond into alertness, the chakra signature behind the door confirmed it to be one of the members. Once again he frowned, just what the hell was any of them doing coming to Sakura's at – he shot a glance at the clock – _four_ am? None of them had ever done that before to his knowledge. Careful not to rouse the sleeping Kunoichi beside him, Deidara stood and opened the door to find a very suspicious and slightly irritated Itachi.

"Why are you in her room?"

"Why are you knocking on her door at four am Uchiha?"

Had Itachi been a more emotional man, he would have sucker-punched the blond pyrotechnic without second thought. But then again, he was known for his stoniness. He looked over at the sleeping pinkette, his eyes widening as he noticed her lack of clothing. Deidara seemed to pick up on his alarm, and as his groggy mind caught up with Itachi's, he blanched and quickly rushed to try and diffuse the situation.

"Its not what it looks like! I swear man, she ran out of the compound at around midnight just bawling. And you know I can't sleep so I went out to go see what was wrong, I found her kneeling in the mud rocking herself back and forth like she was trying to knock herself out. She was having an emotional breakdown and needed someone to stay with her so she didn't feel alone anymore."

"If she was kneeling in the mud, why is she clean?"

Deidara had the grace to look away with a very embarrassed expression on his face.

"I-I helped clean her off in the bath house.. She was too far gone mentally to do anything but sit there like a statue."

Itachi just glared at him.

A small moan from the bed drew both of their attentions back toward the waking pinkette.

"Deidara?... Come back to bed."

Apparently Sakura was to sleepy to realize what she'd said, and the husky breathless voice she'd said it in. However as she sat up and noticed a very pale blond cowering from an extremely pissy Itachi, her dark green eyes looked around as she tried to understand what was going on.

"Not what it looks like huh..."

* * *

 ** _Hey guys!_**

 ** _Sorry i took so long, I got sidetracked with moving and writing the new Fairy Tail story.. And then I remembered i have a Fairy Tail story on haitus... Probably should pick that up again... But anyway, the new story will be called The Star Queen. _**

**_Much Love,_**

 ** _BlackRose999_**


	7. Chapter 7

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Seven: The Arrival_

* * *

After more than an hour explaining to Itachi that nothing had happened, the two of them were finally wake enough to train. Deidara even offered to help her with her ninjutsu, help teach her some of his explosion techniques. With a smile, she accepted. Instead of using clay, she grabbed a handful of fallen Cherry Blossom petals and asked if she could use them instead.

" _It doesn't matter what you use really, it just has to be able to hold a steady amount of chakra. As long as it can go boom, its fine."_

Sakura now stood in her mini-bathroom, the one hidden behind a false wall. She figured it was an old escape room; since it held rations and a drop tunnel, that they had re-purposed. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, looking at the ever-paling strands of pink that made up her hair. Her eyes have gone from their former jade green to a still-darkening emerald green, and her Regeneration Gem was turning red in the center. The purple color slowly shifting into a mesmerizing shade of magenta, a sure sign of her growing indifference to the villainous ways of her new troupe.

 _Why are you so melancholy? You have a good friend, and the people here seem genuinely kind... for the most part at least. Hidan's bat-shit crazy, but hey, what can you do?_

 _ **I'm changing. Both mentally and physically. I don't care about whats right and wrong anymore, I don't care that eventually I'll have to kill people...**_

 _You've killed people before in the name of an Organization, what the difference now? Remember that creep out in Kiri?_

 _ **Its different because they deserved it, and that asshole raped eight girls and ran off with his country's secrets. These people kill for fun.**_

 _Says who? The villages? How do you know they're being upfront about them? Its not the first time they've covered something up with a sinister plot._

Hannya quieted, leaving Sakura alone with that little nugget of wisdom. The pinkette thought for a moment, understanding what Hannya was talking about. It wasn't the first time she had taken down a group that the Villages weren't fond off, so maybe the Akatsuki was one of the people they lied about.

"Sakura."

Konan appeared behind her, a soft smile on her face.

"We have a mission, Nagato is going to move our plans forward and attempt to take out Kirigakure. To take the land and begin our war with the other Villages, to begin to free them from the hypocrisy and the false kings and queens they serve."

Sakura stared at Konan with shock, her deep emerald eyes searching the bluenette for any signs of falsities. Surely this was a joke, surely they didn't mean to start a war without their members in full force?

"I see that look, care to explain your thoughts?"

"We haven't seen the other members, wouldn't it be wiser to wait until we've amassed our full power?"

"Yes it would be, if they were needed for such a cause. The leader of Kirigakure is deathly ill, courtesy of us, and the entire country is wracked with concern over his sickness. They aren't equipped for war, their remaining forces are guarding the ailing Kage. He has yet to choose his successor, so we'll step in and do so for him."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it when she heard knocking on her doors. Deidara walked in her room, immediately heading toward Konan. He looked rather pleased with himself, like he'd gotten the last strawberry in the patch.

"She's here, the girl from Tanigakure. She accepts the offer you gave her."

"Oh, is she in her room?"

"Yup, she's waiting for her mission."

"Perfect. Sakura dear, would you mind accompanying me to meet with her?"

Wordlessly, Sakura nodded. Who was this new woman, was she to be her new partner? Or maybe she was just an informant. But if she was an informant why did she have her own room? Was she a hidden member? Hundreds of questions raced through her mind, but her mouth remained firmly shut. The two women walked silently past the red-painted door, the color of which heavily suggested it was painted in blood. Surprisingly, her stomach didn't clench and bile didn't rise to her throat like it would have once, she merely looked away. Konan stopped in front of a river-wood door, the kind of wood you'd find in a swampy environment, and knocked twice.

"Enter."

The inside of her room mirrored Sakura's, but with color and wood differences. Her sheets where black with a pink comforter, whereas the woman's was cream with a light green comforter. The wood finish of all the furniture was the same type as her door, and her accents were a pale white-gold.

"Maniko-san, a pleasure to see you."

Sakura turned her head to look at the woman at the desk, and felt her mouth open in shock. It was like she was staring in the mirror, Maniko looked like her. She was almost the spitting image of her, aside from the pinkish-blonde hair and the blue-green eyes. It appeared she could also see the resemblance, since her eyes widened and she took an uncertain step back.

"Sakura, meet Maniko Hatsukami from the Village Hidden in the River. Maniko, meet Sakura Haruno from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Maniko are you injured? I can see the blood dripping down your arm."

Sakura blinked and went into Medic Mode, making her way forward she gently took her wrist and turned her arm this way and that. The gash in her forearm ran halfway up her arm and curved toward her elbow, it was a defensive wound. While the blood dripped off her fingers, she could easily see the red tracks the liquid left that twisted up her arm.

"What caused the wound?"

"Katana, the man who wielded it looked very angry with me, although I'd never seen him before in my life."

"Not surprising, most shinobi never meet their Village's Anbu forces, unless of course their the current target."

Maniko had a very soft voice, an octave or two lighter than Sakura's. Her alien eyes watched her warily, the pallor of her skin only making adding to the beauty of the strange mix. In truth, she was in every way her mirror image. Their height was the same, their body types and their chest size. Suddenly she hissed in pain and yanked her arm away from the probing fingers of the thoughtful pinkette, surprised, Sakura looked at her.

"That hurts."

"Obviously, if you want me to treat it you have to let me touch your arm."

Maniko sent her a withering look before allowing Sakura to lead her to the Medical Bay, a flurry of questions filled her own mind as she took in the identical form of the woman in front of her. It was no secret among her village that her mother had slept with a traveling Shinobi from the Land of Fire, a fornication that resulted in her own birth, but could this man have also fathered the pinkette before her?

If so, did Sakura know?

Considering her previous reaction, she doubted it. Or maybe she had just been surprised to see her here, I mean, its not exactly a heartwarming experience to find your long-lost sibling in a troupe of murderers... But still, it was impossible not to notice the similarities between the two of them. Taking a deep breath, Maniko slowly opened her mouth to speak, but was promptly cut off by Sakura.

"I know who you are Maniko. You don't have to say anything, but if you have to ask questions wait until we're in the Medical Bay, its sound-proof."

 _Wait. You KNOW about her!? SINCE WHEN?_

 _ **Shut up, I was able to suppress you for almost three years. Its not that hard to keep secrets from half of yourself. The brain does it all the time with memories.**_

 _That's besides the point! Do you have any idea how vital this information is to me?! If she shares your DNA, which she obviously does, that means I can link you two! I can read her and tell you ANYTHING you wanted to know! I can act as a go between for telepathy! I could-!_

 _ **SILENCE. We'll discuss this later.**_

* * *

 _ **DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!**_

 _ **Hey guys!**_

 _ **Sorry for the long haitus, but to be honest I'm going through some really bad depression right now.. and I'm having some trouble doing anything productive...**_

 _ **Anyway, please R &R. **_

_**Love,**_

 _ **BlackRose999**_


	8. Chapter 8

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Eight: A Broken Bond_

* * *

Sakura firmly bolted the door closed behind them once they'd reached the Medical Bay, fully expecting an interrogation. She was right. The moment the deadbolt slid home, Maniko launched into a full-scale inquiry about everything she knew. Questions rolled out of her mouth, one after the other without hesitation.

"Who was my father? Was he your father too? Do you- I mean we, have any other siblings? How long have your known about me?"

Sakura could feel the headache growing, the slow spread of the ache making her wince and grasp the bridge of her nose.

"MANIKO!"

Said blonde jumped in surprise, staring at her in surprise.

"How am I supposed to answer your questions... If I cant speak?"

"O-Oh... Sorry."

" _Our_ fathers name was Kazashi Haruno, we have one other sibling and I've known about you for about four years now. Our brother's name is Namikoza, he disappeared in the field twenty years ago and hasn't been see since, he's be about thirty-six by now."

Maniko looked down at the floor, while she had no emotional ties to her newfound brother, it was respect that bowed her head. Sakura pushed back the ache in her chest that she felt for her missing sibling, while she mourned his disappearance like a dutiful sister, she could not deny that Namikoza had been a horrid person. He had _enjoyed_ harming other shinobi, he had taken _pleasure_ in injuring those weaker than him, including her.

She still bore some of the scars.

"My mother knew about his affair in Tanigakure, and to a degree she forgave it. She can be... unbearable at times and it put a strain on their marriage for years until my brother was born. If my calculations are correct, you are only two years my junior, which would make you about twenty or so.. What surprises me is that Hannya can't talk to your demon like she can other Haruno descendants, generally they have an interconnected telepathy system that allows-"

"Hold on, what the hell are you talking about?"

Sakura gave her a slightly confused look.

"Your demon, your inner being."

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

Sakura felt confusion begin to rapidly fill her mind, this made no sense. The Haruno clan had always, _always_ bonded the females with demons in the Clan Temple, hidden away in the mountains. Once the women turned thirteen and got their first menstrual cycle, they were taken to the temple and offered to a specific demon as its host, its companion.

Hannya was hers.

 _You said she was raised by her mother right?_

 _ **Yes. Dad didn't have any contact with her after the birth, he tried his best to keep his indiscretion on the low.**_

 _Then its no wonder she doesn't have one of us, she was never taken to the temple. She was never bonded with one of our kin after her first cycle, she probably wouldn't even be allowed inside the doors without Kazashi taking full responsibility for her and openly claiming her as his daughter._

"Maniko... Did your mother ever take you up into the Black Mountains? It would have been around your thirteenth birthday."

She looked confused for a second.

"No, why?"

"Then its as we thought, you were denied the honor of bonding with a companion. You were denied your birthright, your inheritance."

"What are you talking about? What inheritance?"

"Its difficult to explain, would you like us to show you instead?"

Maniko looked at her with fear in her eyes, she looked nervous, and confused. She didn't understand what Sakura meant, what was she going to show her?

"O-Okay.."

"Relax, we won't hurt you."

As she watched, she saw Sakura breathe in, and let her head loll back, the tension and control leaving her body. Emerald green chakra became visible, the hue slowly gaining size and a vibrant red-orange outer tinge. Sakura began to change, her hair elongated and became snow white, her skin paled a sickly color and began to crack, nails sharpened and became as long as her actual bony fingers. Her height grew and bleeding gashes began to rip across her cheeks, stopping just inches from her closed eyes.

Her eyes..

Her eyes were astonishing, as they slowly began to open she noticed the skin around them darkening into a jet black, her lips reddening into a deep maroon. Finally, her eyes opened wide, allowing Maniko to stare into her burning red-orange irises with shock.

" _ **Hello Maniko Hatsukami, my name is Hannya."**_

Maniko staggered back against the wall, trying to get away from the menacing figure now in front of her.

" _ **I think its time we had a little chat... Don't you?"**_

 _Hannya! You promised not to hurt her!_

" _ **Tch, fine. Come away from the wall now dearie, I've been reprimanded for scaring you so. I promise I'll not hurt you."**_

Slowly, she made her way toward the creature that had taken over her sister's body. Hannya used Sakura's voice, but the rasp of her own still underlined the tone and the syllables. Was this what she meant by inheritance?

"W-who _are_ you?"

" _ **Good heavens you're just as bad as she is! I told you, my name is Hannya, I'm Sakura's companion. Her 'Desdemona', her Inner Self. You'd have one too if your mother had taken you to the Black Mountain..."**_

Hannya spoke to her like a mother scolding her child, a bit of superiority lacing her tone with contempt. Maniko knew how to deal with people like her, she knew how to block out the anger their words called forth and listen to the truth behind their lies.

"Where is the Black Mountain? You've mentioned it twice so far."

" _ **I can't tell you. Unfortunately, the only safe time for a the Host to receive their Companion is when they turn thirteen, and you are well past that time."**_

"What!? That's stupid! Its my birthright dammit!"

" _ **I'm well aware of that miss priss, but unless you want to possibly die during the ritual, or worse loose control over your own body for eternity, then you're shit out of luck. Don't test my patience, as much as I love this pink-haired bitch, that won't stop me from putting you through the wall if you continue to irritate me. Our traditions have been in place since the beginning of the Nations, while you may have been exempt from them by your mother, plenty of other Haruno women are passed over when it comes time for the Bonding Rituals.. Sakura's own mother was passed over, she never received her companion either."**_

Maniko quieted, her mind racing. She didn't understand why Mrs. Haruno had been rejected from the bonding, was it her temperament?

" _ **I can see the gears twisting in your little brain there blondie, would you like me to explain further or are you just going to sit there and let the contents of your cranium melt into mush?"**_

"Do you have to be so bitchy about it?"

Hannya giggled at her, the sound coming out twisted and cruel. The sound was devoid of emotion, it was that of a witch's cackle.

" _ **Ah, but where's the fun without the sass? Now, pay attention. Mebuki was rejected because she was infertile at the time, she was supposed to never have children. Sakura's brother was a miracle, that's why she allowed him to do as he pleased for so long. Four years later, she wanted a girl. A daughter to pass down the family traditions to, so she begged and pleaded all the doctors she could find to give her hormones to allow a pregnancy. She forced herself to conceive and carry Sakura, and in doing so she gave her the ultimate gift. Sakura can do things no other shinobi can ever possibly hope to do, she can see chakra natures and change her own to better fight them. Of course, I help a lot when it comes to that. A little** push **of my own energy and bam, new signature."**_

"That's impossible, a person's chakra nature is determined by their genes, their internal makeup. You can't just rearrange their cells and chromosomes the way you see fit—"

" _ **I can and I do, in fact the body does it all the time. Mutation my dear is the key, mutate the cells and change them to something better, stronger, faster even. You've heard of Curse Marks right? Those vile misguided creations of Orochimaru and his clowns?"**_

"Well yes of course. But-"

" _ **Same principle, different execution. The Curse Mark burns new chakra into the body, forcing new productions of similar cells and nature, the only difference between us is the change of natures is gentle and natural my way. Now, enough chit-chat. I have a proposition for you."**_

 _What the fuck are you doing!?_

"What do you mean?"

" _ **I want to make a mental link between you two for my own use, neither of you will be able to feel it or use it, but I will. I'll be able to talk with you the way I do her, I'll be able to give you my chakra when needed and give you a boost here and there when you needed."**_

 _THIS WASN'T THE PLAN BITCH! Who the FUCK do you think you are!? I give you TEN FUCKING MINUTES of control and you try to make her your bitch?!_

"I accept."

* * *

 ** _Hey guys._**

 ** _Sorry it took so long, I've been having problems with OpenOffice continually corrupting my files and at one point it totally crashed my computer and took all my saved stories with it... Otherwise this would have been posted a week ago._**

 ** _Much Love,_**

 ** _BlackRose999_**


	9. Chapter 9

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Nine: Time's Up_

* * *

Sakura growled against the cloth covering her mouth, her hands twisting to test the durability of the chakra restraints. The water pouring into the tank wasn't helping her see what she was doing, but it did its job well. Panic was beginning to build up in her chest, making her sloppy. She shook her head once she felt the gag slip down her cheek, grinning as it gave her use of her teeth once more.

 _One down, three to go! Hurry!_

Gulping a quick breath, she dove down and began to untie the thick rope binding her to the floor of the tank, she had to be quick. Her lungs already started to burn as the need for oxygen grew urgent, soon her vision would become useless. Removing one bond, she kicked back up and snagged another breath as the water reached her limit, knowing that this would be her last chance to get air. As she hurriedly untied the last rope, her lungs began to ache and her muscles started to cramp up, making her begin to whimper as she tried to fight the growing urge to open her mouth for air.

 _Your almost there! Don't quit yet!_

The rope snapped off and she quickly kicked her legs up toward her chest, allowing her to remove her hands from behind her back. Sakura began to pound on the glass of the tank, making sure the metal of the restraints hit the tank first. As the spidery cracks of grew bigger and longer, her vision blurred and she began to see red, she was dying. She poured all her remaining strength into one last hit, and as it connected, the glass shattered and the water poured out of the tank. Gasping for breath, she pressed her face into the concrete flooring beneath her, groaning as the click of the cuffs indicated they were now open.

"Nicely done Sakura, three minutes in the tank before you broke it."

Choosing to nod instead of speak, she dragged in another raspy breath and forced her aching limbs to put her into a sitting position. Three minutes wasn't nearly enough, she needed to be able to hold her breath for at least five, otherwise she'd drown in the underwater tunnels before she could reach the Tower Cistern. Maniko would have no problem with it, since she'd grown up in the swampland's.

 _It might not be enough, but its a start. Work on it. Build on it._

Deidara reached his hand down and helped pull her up, catching her when she nearly slipped on the growing puddle beneath her. He was dressed casually, a mesh tank and sweats paired with plain black ninja shoes, while Sakura was in a black bra and matching panties. Throughout the last few weeks, he had been her constant. When her nightmares had forced her awake in terror, he always let her stay in his room with him. Sometimes they'd talk for hours, other times they'd go right to sleep. Most of the time she fell asleep curled up in his arms, his head resting on hers.

"You alright there Kura? Or have you been waterlogged?"

"Very funny, you're lucky I'm standing in a puddle right now. Otherwise I'd have beaten you senseless by now..."

"Ooh, back to threats now are we? For shame."

Sakura chuckled, pulling wet strands of hair away from her face.

" _You're_ the one who should be ashamed, picking on a poor defenseless drowned woman."

Deidara threw his head back laughing, looking like a little kid. For a moment, Sakura took the time to look at him, really look at him. This was new to her, somebody genuinely enjoying her company the way he did. While she couldn't think of him _that way_ , she did care for him very deeply. He provided the kind of support Namikoza should have, the knowing that even though they fought and picked on each other constantly, he had her back when she was at her weakest.

Maniko had spent the duration of her training week sparring with the Zombie Combo, Hidan and Kakuzu. At first, she only sparred with Kakuzu since she and Hidan had a rather... _interesting_... history between them that didn't exactly end well. Since neither of them wanted to talk about it, Sakura didn't know the full details about their past.

That was fine anyway, she knew a certain woman who absolutely _adored_ secrets.

After getting dressed Sakura walked with Deidara down to the kitchen, it was their turn to cook dinner for the members, and Sakura had decided to cook steak and potatoes. Something she hadn't had in months. The two of them joked back and forth as they cooked, Deidara was in charge of grilling the steak while she made mashed potatoes, gravy and sauteed asparagus. She also cut up fresh vegetables for a romaine salad, pairing it with Parmesan cheese.

"Sakura."

"Hm?"

She turned and looked at the stoic man behind her, his onyx eyes searching her own emerald orbs warily. At first, it confused her, it wasn't every day someone searched your eyes with fear and curiosity. But as she realized what he was looking for, her heart broke a little bit. He was looking for Hannya, he was looking to see if she was present, hidden away inside the red-orange tint of her eyes.

"I need to speak with you, alone."

"You'll have to wait until later, I have to speak with Konan about my mission details and a few secrets. Besides, I have a feeling our little discussion is going to be... lengthy at best."

Sakura offered him a small smile, and to her surprise it was returned with a hesitant one of his own.

"I'll set the table, everyone here has a favorite seat. If you mess up where Hidan sits he's likely to make you his next sacrifice."

She grinned wolfishly, the irony of his statement not lost on her. Sakura was afraid of many things, death was not one of them. She had learned long ago that in her line of work, fear was a taxing and unnecessary emotion that got you killed more often than it protected you. Fear made you weak, sloppy.

It was a waste of time, energy, and resources.

Sakura felt him walk away from her, the significance of his absence making her gasp slightly. Horror slowly filled her, after everything that had happened to her, it seemed she was still _very_ aware of the opposite sex. And it seemed that _Itachi Uchiha_ had finally been the one to snag her attention, first it had been Sasuke, then it had been _him_ , and now it was Itachi. Gods above she was cursed... Cursed to love those she knew would never truly love her in return. Sasuke was a mistake from the beginning, she knew that now, but he had been her first love. So she had clung to him, even after he had tried to kill her, _twice_.

And when she got the daylights knocked into her by Naruto, she'd moved on to somebody else.

Somebody who couldn't admit that he loved her either.

And now here she was, attracted to the raven-haired brother of her first love. Maybe he wouldn't be as bad as Sasuke, maybe he'd have common sense and _not_ turn into an egotistical power-hungry dick with a massive case of small man syndrome. Sakura was so encased in her thoughts, she barely touched her food. Attempts to talk with her went unanswered, finally Hidan had enough and chucked a knife at her, nearly missing her head and effectively getting her attention.

"What the FUCK was that for!?"

"Next time pay fucking attention when people are fucking talking to you!"

"What the fuck are you talking about!"

"Konan and I have been trying to talk to you for almost twenty minutes, you've been staring at your plate the entire time in a daze."

Sakura ducked her head, ashamed once again.

"Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind right now..."

Sakura snuck a glace at Itachi, not noticing the way Deidara and Hidan narrowed their eyes at her. Deidara narrowed them out of suspicion and distaste, it was no secret that he wasn't fond of Itachi in the slightest, and the thought of her falling in love with him made him sick to his stomach. In his mind, an asshole like him didn't deserve to breathe the same air as her, let alone touch her.

Hidan was a different story.

Nobody could know what the reasoning was behind his sudden distaste of the pinkette's choice in men, but it was clear that he knew the object of her desires.

"As I was saying, you're going back into the tank tomorrow and you'll keep going in until you either learn to hold your breath longer, or break the tank under a minute."

Sighing, she nodded. When the dishes were finished and the kitchen clean, Sakura made her way down to Konan's room. The bluenette had a very calming room, the paint done in deep blues and gentle whites. The only splash of color that didn't match the room was the altar in the far corner, which held a picture of a man strikingly similar to Pein.

"Ah, hello Sakura. I was wondering when you'd make your way to me."

"I had to sit through dinner first, have you found out anything of interest?"

Konan chuckled, her dark eyes closing in mirth.

"I have, she and Hidan were engaged once. He left her for dead after she supposedly turned him into the proper authorities for his various crimes."

Sakura sat back in the desk chair and let that sink in for a moment, her already cold heart cooling even more towards her newfound sibling. She needed her, after Hannya had explained things to her and told her of her plans, she understood what role her beloved sister would be forced to play in her rise to power. With her Desdemona and the Akatsuki at her back, Sakura could be more powerful than Tsunade had trained her to be.

"What was the specifics of her betrayal?"

"She gave him to the police for the massive bounty on his head, it made her quite rich to boot. However I believe his arrest was a ploy, Maniko is also an avid follower of Jashin and has quite the record herself, it makes no sense to turn him over just for the money. I think it was a setup that failed."

 _She was going to break him out, I remember that memory. The plan was to turn him in, have him denounce her and remove any suspicion from her, and then break him out._

 _ **Take the money and run...**_

 _Bingo. Except they took him to a different jail than what they were planning, and by the time she remade the plan it was too late. He probably thinks she did that on purpose, no wonder he hates her so much. I would._

This was a recurring thing between them, the more she got accustomed to the life of a wanted criminal, the better she and Hannya got along. They rarely fought now, and if they did it was in jest. Sakura nodded her head in agreement, with Hannya's wisdom, Konan's theory made more sense.

"I agree, it makes the most sense. I doubt Hidan would have let her live if she betrayed him after all they'd gone through... Even Jashinist's must have the knowledge to kill other cultists."

"So you see my point, I'm not sure we can be confident in her motives. Not with this little tidbit of information..."

Sakura stood, smiling down at Konan.

"Don't worry about her, I'll take care of it."

Konan smiled and showed her to the door, bidding her goodnight. The pinkette made her way to the only black door in the compound and knocked twice, a signal that it was her. She opened the door and was immediately met with the sight of Itachi in a black tank top and deliciously low-hanging sweats, his hands were working his still-wet hair into a ponytail. Her cheeks began to heat up as the blood rushed toward the surface of her skin at the very... _delightful.._ view she was getting.

"Umm, I-I can come back later..."

Thankfully, Itachi looked just as flustered as she was.

"No, its fine. It'll dry as we talk, please take a seat."

This was going to be a _very_ long talk...

* * *

 ** _So I know I said I was going to take a haitus, but a certain review on here really irritated me._**

 ** _I don't know who you are, but how dare you insinuate that I need to copy someone else's writing style to make you happy. I get that you guys don't really care for Maniko, i respect that, but don't tell me that I need to take a note from someone else on how to write my fics. The ONLY reason she is there in the first place is to get the needed events into motion for the rest of the story, nothing more._**

 ** _I created the OC's because i need them to make the plot believable and logical, so I'm sorry that you don't like a character who had the spotlight for a SINGLE CHAPTER, but I'm not going to scrap the whole plot because two people don't like her. Sorry not sorry. If you don't like it, bye see ya. This is a Sakura X Akatsuki fic, if it wasn't I wouldn't have made them to be the tagged characters now would i? I didn't put the OC tag because she's not a major character in the story, like how Namikoza is._**

 ** _(And before you say Hannya is an OC you need to step back and re-watch the anime, Sakura has an Inner Self, she just didn't have a name.)_**

 ** _To the rest of my avid readers who like the story, please know that the above rant wasn't directed toward you. It was directed at the two most recent reviewers who didn't have the guts to leave their names so I could do this privately._**

 ** _Much Love,_**

 ** _BlackRose999_**


	10. Chapter 10

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Ten: Midnight Kisses_

Itachi sat on his bed, a leg tucked up under him. Sakura let her eyes wander a bit while he dried the ends of his raven hair, fully taking advantage of his distraction. She followed the curve of his throat and the light tan shade of his skin, she let herself drink in the tight muscles and the mesmerizing body he possessed, at least until he opened his eyes and she found herself staring at the floor.

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah, um, you said you wanted to talk?"

Itachi took notice of her embarrassment, but wisely kept silent. He wasn't immune to her charms, and the way she looked at him sometimes made him wonder about whether or not she was attracted to him. He would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in her, in the way her hips moved when she walked, the way her hair moved gently in the breeze. The glimmer of her incredible green eyes when she smiled, and the fierce hard line of her lips when she fought.

She was mesmerizing.

As beautiful and terrible as the sun, and he was doomed to both love her and despair over the life they could never have.

"Itachi?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry. I want to talk to you about the duel, I want to talk to you about what I saw..."

Sakura ran a hand through her hair, groaning softly.

"It's not... easy to talk about.."

"I realize that, but you owe me an explanation about what I saw."

"Okay, okay. I'll try to explain it the best I can, but it might sound weird to you..."

Itachi nodded in understanding, watching her.

"The women in our family are not normal Kunoichi, we have a particularly.. adaptive, chakra nature at birth. And by our fourteenth birthday we get our permanent nature, but before that, we are taken up into the Black Mountains.."

Sakura stood up and walked over toward the window, smiling at the beautiful midnight sea. One thing she liked about being on the Isle was the view, while most of the others lived below ground to keep the pretense of the Isle being abandoned. Itachi lived in the old Hokage office, his abilities in genjutsu allowing him to shield it from potential onlookers. She gazed out at the sea while she talked, unaware of him watching her with great interest.

"Why the mountains?"

"Because of the age-old traditions, the women in our line are given a special gift, a Desdemona from the Olden Times..."

Itachi froze, knowing what she meant. The Desdemona of ancient times were demons from folklore, creatures of incredible power and varying personalities. But around the time of the first clans, the amount of Desdemona began to dwindle rapidly. Now there were only a handful of them left in the world, hidden in the shadows to avoid extinction.

"I was given Hannya, the Japanese Demon of Jealousy and Possession, for my ceremony. She was the one you saw during our fight, she is the reason behind my eyes changing from green to red for no reason."

Sakura laughed lightly under her breath, the sound unwittingly drawing the dark-eyed man closer to her. Slowly she pulled her hair away from her throat, letting it rest over her left shoulder and exposing the long surgical scar that ran down her spinal column. He then understood how they planted them in the host's body, the vessel would be lying face-down on a table with a hole through it too keep the spine straight, then the doctor or Priestess would begin to open the flesh. Allowing the demon access to their brain, heart, and any other vital organ in the body.

"She likes to see things through me, like she still has a physical body.."

"Why did they plant her in you?"

"Because we can use them, we can harbor them in our bodies and control them. In time, we learn to coexist. She gets to relive the life she never had, and I get needed advice."

Itachi walked up behind her, quietly coming to a stop just inches from her. He watched her tense slightly as she drew in a breath, his scent washing over her like a tidal wave. Slowly, she leaned back against him, testing the waters. With a light breath in her ear, he let his hands rest on her waist.

"Why did you tell me to try and kill you?"

She whimpered as he dug his nails deeper into her skin, the feel of his lips on her throat seeming to ignite her skin with each touch.

"I needed to feel something.. I've been numb for three and a half years inside, unable to feel any kind of emotion.. I wanted to feel something, even if it was pain or fear... But then you came along and blindsided me.. I was terrified... I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want.."

"What do you want?"

"You."

Itachi didn't need to hear more, he turned her to face him and pulled her into his kiss. His lips dancing over hers in a gentle, yet dominating sensation that left her breathless. He backed her up against the window, the coldness of the glass making her shiver. She felt a familiar heat pool in the bottom of her stomach, the tightening of her breasts only adding to her arousal. Sakura moaned as he lifted her up and wrapped her slender legs around his waist, pressing his erection against her core. Her nails left light red tracks down his neck as she bit his shoulder gently, earning a guttural moan.

"Sakura."

She wanted to stay like this, stay wrapped up in his arms, feeling his trail of burning kisses down her throat. But slowly, his touches and kisses came to a stop. For a moment, neither spoke, they stayed in each other's arms. He pulled away slightly, leaning his forehead against hers with her face in his hands.

"Not that I wouldn't mind keeping you here for the remainder of your life... But you have a job to do and we have an entire country to take over."

Sakura nodded, her own slender fingers creeping up and grasping his wrists, keeping his touch on her cheeks.

"But I promise, we'll resume this little scene later my dear.. In due time."

Sakura sighed, giving him one final kiss goodbye before leaving his room. Her hair was in complete disarray, and her lips were probably plump with the abuse they'd just endured but then again she didn't care, Konan walked around with lips like that and nobody ever batted an eye at her.

So she assumed they'd be used to it by now.

She stopped in front of Deidara's room, debating whether or not to walk in and talk to him, but considering she could hear the insomniac snore she opted to let the poor guy sleep while he could. She _really_ wanted to turn around and run back into Itachi's arms, she wanted to feel him hold her against him and feel the heat of his kisses down her body.

 _Wow... That didn't take long now did it? One little session and he's got you under wraps._

 _ **You make it sound like I'm whipped or something.**_

 _You ARE, look at you! Already wanting to run back to him and stay there, even HE didn't have that big of effect on you, and considering you went nuts after he left that's saying something._

 _ **We swore we wouldn't talk about him and I did NOT go nuts.**_

 _You call trashing your office, apartment, and wreaking havoc on some poor guy's house while on a mission NOT going nuts? What was that then, a minor pity-party?_

 _ **You're such a bitch, you know that?**_

 _Well aware of the fact, now, about Itachi. You need to put the brakes on this._

 _ **Why?**_

 _Because of who he is dammit. He's Sasuke's brother, are you sure you're not simply attracted to him because he reminds you of Sasuke? Are you sure you're even ready for something like this? You literally JUST told me you felt numb, is this a bold attempt to 'feel something' or are you just bed-hopping?_

 _ **I don't bed-hop!**_

 _So what are you doing then?_

 _ **I'm trying… I'm trying to move on, I'm trying to leave him behind. I do like Itachi, he doesn't look at me like I'm glass. And before you say anything yes, I am very attracted to him. Just because I am still aware of my feminine whims, doesn't mean I'm in a hurry to become his girl anytime soon.**_

 _So what's the deal then? Is our plan still in action?_

 _ **Quite. In a year's time, the Akatsuki will be under my control and so will a good portion of the Lesser Villages… And that so-called 'sister' of mine won't be a problem.**_

 _So you do believe me, she's not who she says she is. Kazashi is not her father, she has no familial DNA that matches your's. She's -_

 _ **An Impostor.**_

 _Sakura, you know what that means. She's not here for anything she says she is, we have no real way of knowing what she wants with the Akatsuki... What she wants with you._

 _ **She wants to worm her way into my new family, I've seen the way she looks at Hidan. Maybe she wants to find her way back into his bed…**_

 _You naughty minx… one heated makeout session and suddenly you're a harlot._

 _ **Like you're any better? You were more than willing to jump Itachi's bones while he had me wrapped around his waist, if i remember correctly you were egging me on.**_

 _Mmmmmm, maybe we SHOULD go back for some R &R.. _

Sakura chuckled, giving the little slut a gentle shove back into her gilded cage, said demon even closed the door herself with a giggle and a wink. The interior of her mind was both her own and her Desdemona's, the majority of which belonged indefinitely to Sakura for her ever-expanding knowledge and skills. But the darkest corner was Hannya's perfect haven of sexual deviancy and unmatched intelligence, she had chosen to make her little domain a golden cage within her beloved host's mind, hidden away so well that not even Itachi had known about her until she chose to reveal herself to him.

Her entire existence based itself on the knowledge that Sakura would never harm her in any way, and while the little brat chose to annoy constantly her mistress with backhanded compliments and assistance masquerading as riddles, the truth was they both thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. While Sakura never had a sister, the story she fed to Maniko was complete bullshit aside from Namikoza's existence, Hannya was all she'd ever need when it came to familial bonds.

She would never leave her, she would never betray or hurt her, Hannya was hers for life.

* * *

 _ **Hello ladies and gents!**_

 _ **Nice to see ya again, sorry for the inactivity but we're FINALLY moving our shit to the new house. Unfortunately my dad and I are the only ones moving the ENTIRE house so it'll take a bit longer before I'm back to my Chapter-a-Week routine, and even then it might be erratic since I'll be getting a job and helping out with Grandad. As always please leave a review and have an awesome day!**_

 _ **Much Love,**_

 _ **BlackRose999**_


	11. Chapter 11

_The Black Cherry Blossom_

 _Chapter Eleven: A Storm Comes_

For the last few days Sakura's life has been a series of repetitions, Train in the water tank, Eat, Workout, eat again and sleep. She spends very little time in Itachi's company, under advice of both her Desdemona and her brother-figure she carefully avoids being alone in the same room with him, knowing she may not be able to push him away should he make a welcome advance toward her. Truth is, she was beginning to notice very odd things about the raven-haired murderer. For instance, when he grew angry, his left eye twitches almost unnoticeably and his left index finger begins to shake.

When he lies, looks to the left.

At this very moment, Sakura was lifting weights with Deidara as her spotter, a soft sheen of sweat glistened over her brow as she finished her fifth and final set of the day. It was growing ever-apparent that Deidara enjoyed her suffering and displeasure, and if his never-hidden amusement at her soreness wasn't enough proof of that, the daily "Pain Check" was a sure indication of it. Everyday he poked and prodded whatever muscle set she was working on to make sure they were thoroughly agonized, if he wasn't happy with her level of pain, he sent her back for another set. At this point, she was certain he was the sadist in the group, not Hidan. Speaking of the Jashinist, during her midnight walkabouts Hannya had confirmed that "Maniko" and Hidan we meeting together.

Were it not an expected part of her plans, she might have been concerned.

The two of them had been lovers at one point, it was only natural that they fell back into each other's arms at the first available opportunity. And the two of them were beginning to smell just like the other, a sure sign of the nature of their rendezvous. While her plans were of the utmost importance, Sakura couldn't deny that she wasn't jealous. She spent every waking moment forbidding herself from going to see Itachi, forbidding herself from allowing any kind of distraction. But then again, distraction always seemed to love her company. Sakura was so wrapped up in her thoughts that when she walked into the showers, she completely disregarded the presence of a certain raven-haired man waiting for her. It wasn't until she was half naked that she came out of her mind just long enough to feel his chakra, startled, she whipped around and stared at him in shock.

"What in the seven hells are you _doing_ in here!?"

"Well you wouldn't allow me to be alone with you for no longer than a minute, so I had to get creative."

He walked toward her, not at all concerned with her backing up against the wall to get away from him. Like her, he seemed very eager for her touch, regardless of how the others should find out. He brought his lips down on hers without warning in a blindingly dominant kiss, pulling her into him when she moaned softly. He wanted her, he wanted her now in this room and he wasn't going to give her the chance to even think the word no. Itachi had been livid when he realized he shouldn't have let her leave his room that night, that the chance to have her might have slipped him by and he'd have been none the wiser until it was too late. A whimper escaped her as he began removing the remaining articles of clothing she had left, and it wasn't long before she began to reciprocate.

 _What are you doing?! What about the plan! Goddamnit I leave you alone for ONE DAY and you're letting him jump you again! SAKURA!_

With a shove, Sakura slammed the door to her gilded cage inside her mind and locked it, ignoring her outraged screams of protest. With that final inner resistance gone, she allowed herself to give into Itachi's caresses. The tracings of his fingers up and down her skin and the burning trail of bites and kisses he left barring her thoughts of anything but his ministrations. Slowly, the coil in the pit of her stomach began to tighten and her need for him grew more and more apparent, and when she could bear it no longer she began to grind against his rock-hard cock in a blatant display of want. A growl rose from him as she wrapped her naked core around his waist, forbidding him from moving away from her.

"Sakura… I swear to god if you don't let me walk away now I'm go to take you right here.."

"Don't stop… for the love of god don't stop Itachi."

A groan erupted from him as she nipped his earlobe seductively, smirking when he picked her up and shoved her toward the shower, ridding his body of his clothing as he kissed her passionately. She giggled as he pressed her back against the icy walls, the sudden change in temperature making her nipples harden against his chest. He smacked the hot water nozzle, hoping the echoing sound of the water would cover most of their moans and the sound of flesh against flesh. As the room began to fill with steam he began to play with her clit, smirking at how wet she already was. Sakura was an impatient woman, and the way he was touching her was agonizing. While foreplay was great, it was best saved for after the climaxes, that way their already sensitive bodies would responded better and the recovery time would be halved.

To say she wanted him _now_ was an understatement, she wanted him inside her twenty minutes ago, she wanted him to claim her in way's her former lover had never even dreamed of. Frustrated, she raked her nails down his back roughly as he bit her collarbone. The sound of the door opening caused him to drop her, the pinkette quickly hiding behind the half-wall of the enclosure so she wouldn't be seen.

"Itachi? What are you doing in here?"

"I wanted to shower after my run, is that a problem Kisame?"

She had to give it to Itachi, the man could switch moods like nobody else.. At the moment, he sounded calm and semi-relaxed, although his voice dripped with annoyance and sarcasm. While Kisame backtracked and tried to come up with a liable excuse as to why Itachi wouldn't normally be in the bath house, Sakura realized she had the perfect opening to spur their little session into high gear. Quietly, she crouched in front of him on her knees, careful not to sit up too far she reached up and began stroking him. He tensed before her and shifted as though to move away from her, however she wasn't going to let him get away with teasing her earlier the way he did. She slowly welcomed his thick length into her mouth, enjoying the way he had to bite back a moan and steady himself against the wall, once he was fully sheathed inside her mouth she began bobbing her head back and forth. Her movements were slow and precise, aiming to draw out as much pleasure as slowly as possible before suddenly speeding up.

"You ok Itachi? You look a little flushed…"

"I-I'm fine, just sore. If you don't miND I'd like to shower now.."

"Oh-kay.. I'll leave you to it then.."

The moment he was gone Itachi yanked her up by her hair and crushed his lips to hers, quickly pushing her away from the shower and toward the darker portion of the room that was left unlit. He laid her down on the semi-cold floors and positioned himself between her legs, slowly he rubbed the head of his cock over her slit, wettening himself before he tried to enter his more than willing lover. She writhed beneath him, a soft moan escaping her lips as he slowly slid into her warm cavern. Once he was fully sheathed within her, he began thrust in a hard and fast pace. The harder he pounded into her the tighter the coil in her belly began to wind, a sign that her orgasm was beginning to build. She moaned his name when he suddenly pulled out of her, the feeling of annoyance quickly fading as he flipped her over onto her knees and re-entered her, slamming home with a single harsh thrust. A sharp cry tore from her as his pace picked up once again, the steady rhythm easily numbing her senses to anything but him. His hands found their way up her toned stomach to her breasts, fondling them and pinching her nipples until she whimpered and cried out in pleasure. Over the years her bust had grown until she was a size C, and for once she was utterly thankful she had not been this size when she and her former lover had grown intimate.

The quickening of his pace startled her, the once steady rhythm becoming erratic and frenzied as he got closer to his own orgasm, he now sought his release desperately while her own was so close to fruition. Their moaning filled the room as the steam from the hot water began to clear, the sounds of flesh against flesh steadily growing louder. Her face was pressed into the tile as he slammed home one last time, a strangled groan escaping him as he filled her with his seed. Slowly he rocked his hips back and forth inside her, milking his orgasm as long as he could. Her legs quivered as her own orgasm began to fade, the intense pleasure she was feeling radiated through her body, making it feel as though her nerves were aflame. Finally he pulled out of her and leaned against the wall of the shower, letting her lie there for a moment while the high of her orgasm ebbed.

The cool tiles felt wonderful against her flushed cheeks, and after a minute or two she let herself sit up and rake her fingers through her partially wet hair. Lazily her eyes met his, a light chuckle echoing softly around them.

"Well… That was fun."

"Hn."

Sakura sighed, her forest green eyes narrowing at him in mock annoyance.

"Back to one word syllables now are we? And here I thought you liked me."

He chuckled, then crooked a finger at her.

"Shut up and come here pinky…"

"Oooh, I get a _nickname_ now, I feel so special Ita- _kun_."

As she spoke, Sakura teasingly crawled over to him. Slowly she sat herself on his lap, smirking when she felt him stir once again between her thighs. His hands snaked their way up her smooth legs and grabbed her hips, shifting her into an easier position of entry.

"You should feel special, I don't fuck just anyone.."

Her giggle quickly became a gasp as he slowly impaled her on his cock, smirking as he fingers gripped his shoulders when her head lolled back. He thrusted into her slowly, wanting to draw out as much pleasure as he could. However as soon as he started to speed up again, a loud hum echoed throughout the room and the light by the lockers suddenly went out with a pop, effectively getting their attention. Itachi quickly shoved her off his lap and hurriedly searched for his clothes, trying to find the penlight he carried in his pocket.

"Itachi? What's gotten into you? It's just the storm."

"Leader-Sama, his life support might have been shut off with the power surge.. We need to get to him. NOW."

Suddenly understanding the rush, Sakura hurried to find her own clothes and find the other members. As they exited the room they found Deidara sprinting down the hallway toward them, an irritated look on his face.

"Deidara! What happened?"

"The storm blew the main circuits for Leader's systems, I need to get the replacement from the Vault before his system frys!"

"Itachi, go see if you can help him. He might need some light."

A curt nod was the only acknowledgement she got before he hurried off after Deidara, leaving her alone in the dark. Navigating her way through the halls by counting doorways (silently thanking Deidara for his advice), she made her way toward Maniko's room as quietly as she could. The power outage made the perfect opportunity to check to see if the impostor was stupid enough to leave things lying around, and since she knew for a fact that the little bitch had lied to a top-level Anbu Captain, was it was fairly certain that she might be immature enough to assume her belongings wouldn't be messed with. What did she expect? That the Akatsuki respected each other's privacy and didn't snoop at any given opportunity? Even Sakura knew better than that, she'd taken precautions the moment she was sure it was necessary.

 _Can I come out now? You made me miss all the good stuff…_

 _ **You tried to stop that 'Good Stuff' from happening…**_

 _Cause I know you, you're going to give up on the plan if you continue with this… Men seem to have that effect on you._

 _ **I haven't given up on the plan, and I won't. I want to see the Shinobi Nations fall to their knees with me as their uncontested Kage, I want to wipe the floor with my old team's faces and force them to suffer the same things I've suffered for three fucking years… Itachi will NOT get in the way of that, and if he tries to.. I'll kill him.**_

 _What if you-know-who comes back?_

 _ **Him? I'll tell you what Hannya, if he comes back, you can kill him yourself.**_

 _Gladly._

* * *

 ** _Hey Guys!_**

 ** _Sorry for the long wait, I have no excuses. I was just suuuuuper lazy and kept putting it off... MY BAD. I sorry._**

 ** _Anyway the next chapter will be more of a confrontational chapter involving "Maniko" and Sakura, it will also involve the introduction of a hinted at character that has been haunting Sakura since her childhood. Whoever can guess who it is gets a shoutout! I will also explain who she refuses to talk about, and why._**

 ** _Much Love,_**

 ** _BlackRose999_**


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